Former Ukas chief Shamsul Azri is new govt chief secretary

Career civil servant succeeds Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, whose contract ends on Saturday

Datuk Seri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar will begin serving as chief secretary to the government on August 12. – Courtesy pic, August 7, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR – Career civil servant Datuk Seri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar is the new chief secretary to the government, succeeding Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali who will be ending his extended contract on Saturday.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in a statement, said Shamsul, 55, would begin service as chief secretary on August 12.

Shamsul’s last post was as director-general of the Public Private Partnership Unit, or Ukas, under the Prime Minister’s Department.

In his 30 years in the civil service, he has also served in the Finance Ministry, Public Service Department and in state government administrations, the PMO said in its statement.

Shamsul holds a degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the United States, and has also had stints with the University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom, and the European Institute of Business Administration.

Zuki, meanwhile, is leaving the civil service after serving as chief secretary to the government since 2019. He reached the mandatory retirement age in 2022 and had his contract extended for another two years. 

The PMO recorded its thanks to Zuki for his service, noting his efforts in spearheading the civil service and improving public service delivery through various new measures. – August 7, 2024